Reply With QuoteI think it's a combination of both. He had the natural talent already but worked to develop it to it's full potential.
Diane
I always felt like Elvis had a unique voice. A naturally good one. But if you listen to his first recordings I would say it was in a somewhat ruff form. So I think he tried very hard to develope his range, tone and quality. Just through shear will he became a great singer. So do you all think it was all just natural talent or a lot of hard work?
I think it's a combination of both. He had the natural talent already but worked to develop it to it's full potential.
Diane
Originally Posted by MissyM
Both, Missy.
I love the purity of Elvis' voice. The tone, his range. The feeling he puts in. I feel, that Elvis may have been a perfectionist.
Kim
I think he had a natural talent that was honed into something remarkable that will never again be matched
rick
PERFECTLY STATED!!!
I think he worked on his voice a lot...Maybe there was a natural talent too, but I'm not sure, his first recordings don't sound really good. Or maybe his voice needed to mature a bit?
My husbands voice is much like Elvis's in that he has perfect timing when singing, pure pitch, and it is rock solid. I don't know where he gets it though because no one else his family can sing????? And even at his age (56) it remains that way. Even though Elvis was falling apart physically, I do think he tried his best to sing well. Sometimes when I watch the video's of him in the last months, it bothers me to see him try so hard. Ever feel like that??
On the contrary, on the relatively rare occasions Elvis really tried in the last few months, it is pleasing to watch.
It's when he doesn't try - and treats his music with a sardonic contempt - that is difficult to watch.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
Can anyone tell me WHY Elvis' voice sounds so different through the years? I mean, singers like Michael Jackson, and other great singers voices sounds almost the same when you listen to their music through their years.
I think part of the reason was that his voice deepened with maturity and the rest from practicing to broaden his range.
Diane
I think u can put alot of that down to working with the Jordanaires so much as he was maturing. I remember Gordon Stoker saying Elvis loved to sing ALL the harmony parts not just the lead, plus age matured his voice more than most .. i always thought there were at least 4 vocal periods of change ... his SUN voice, after the Army voice , his comeback voice, and finally the power of his Vegas voice ... geeezCan anyone tell me WHY Elvis' voice sounds so different through the years? I mean, singers like Michael Jackson, and other great singers voices sounds almost the same when you listen to their music through their years.
Liked My Mother told me that my Gramdma told her that , this in 1956 or 1959, went Elvis get older his voice will be great singer, She was right on that, Elvis voice still raw and young voice that time.
I like Elvis between 1967 to 1976
Tom
Take a look at you and me,,Are we too blind to see, Do we Simply turn our heads and look the other way.....(Line From "in The Ghetto")
Yes, I so agree.He was a natural talent and that voice just kept getting better and more beautiful.
I will never forget you Rosanne.
R.I.P. 4-27-59~7-22-09
Given the amount of shows he performed,especially in the latter part of his career,it`s no great mystery his voice changed some bit.I agree though that he did put a lot of work into his voice,especially from 1960 onwards.What a voice though!!
All singers' voices mature, some not always well.Can anyone tell me WHY Elvis' voice sounds so different through the years? I mean, singers like Michael Jackson, and other great singers voices sounds almost the same when you listen to their music through their years.
As for MJ, of course his voice is different in various times in his career. Compare his days with the Jackson 5, through to Thriller, through to the rubbish he's been dishing out for the past few years. Three distinct sounds.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
Very good post! I've read countless of times where Elvis would sing for hours and hours, especially after a show. Every one of his voice changes was brilliant in it's own way, especially after the army, when his singing, I think, was at it's peak.I think u can put alot of that down to working with the Jordanaires so much as he was maturing. I remember Gordon Stoker saying Elvis loved to sing ALL the harmony parts not just the lead, plus age matured his voice more than most .. i always thought there were at least 4 vocal periods of change ... his SUN voice, after the Army voice , his comeback voice, and finally the power of his Vegas voice ... geeez
Listening to the many home recordings he made over the years you can hear Elvis trying things from all types of music that he would later expand on.
IMO The jams he did were good for broadening his range. You can goof around in jams with little fear of failure and discover -hey I can hit that. Then you really work on it till you get it the way you want.
His voice was a little "tinny" at Sun I always thought but it fit Rockabilly.
With RCA his voice began to get much more depth. I think his voice improved every year.
Elvis had a multiplicity of voices. I wouldn't like to put my finger on a number. The one thing he always retained -- and the true secret of his appeal (IMO) -- was a devastating intimacy, beyond Sinatra, beyond Karen Carpenter ...... beyond ANYONE. Listen to even a "light" recording like "Vinero Dinero Y Amor". Elvis sounds real. There is no membrane between singer and listener. Elvis never sang over the song, but always into it. Of course, he gave passionate performances and extremely dispassionate ones, but he could never part that intimate aspect from his voice, even when singing the most mundane material with the most mundane of approaches.
I think it's pretty clear that some vocal training occurred on and off throughout the years. But he always had reams of potential. You can hear the "operatic" ability of Elvis' voice even in the 50's; just give "Don't" a spin, with that deep yawning baritone, kissing the theshold of tenorship. But something happened between the 50's and 60's, for sure. On his 50's gospel recording of "I Believe", for example, his voice is as beautiful as ever, but he can't summon up the power to bring a cavernous depth to the high notes; they sort of fold up into juvenile yelping. If he'd recorded "I Believe" in 1966 at the "How Great Thou Art" sessions (a venue very suited to that song), the results would have been very different. So Elvis' voice developed, both naturally and in the "trained" sense. But there was an incredible talent from the start.
During his short tenure at SUN, where the magic began, and, in many ways, remains unsurpassed, Elvis had a bubbly, unkempt, cavorting vocal ability, perfectly brought out by Sam Phillips. But adventure beckoned and he couldn't stay. Initially, he sounded more or less the same way at RCA, but he seemed to quickly get into exploring the lower register more. Then, post army, he came back with a revelatory "bel canto" style, which may be the most formidable of all his voices. More styles followed. Even in 1963, on "Fun In Acapulco" and "Viva Las Vegas", there's a slightly harder edge to his voice. By 1966, the change was undeniable. By 1968, there was no looking back. In 1969, the masculine qualities had fully asserted themselves, and when he took to the stage in Vegas, there was a slight raggedness to his voice, perfect for adding the right level of world weariness (think: "Suspicious Minds"). In 1970, his voice had a more weepy quality to it -- which can be heard literally when Elvis sings, "You'll be weeping", on "Tomorrow Never Comes". This weepy quality foreshadowed the voice of 1971-1973, but in 1970, it was kept interesting with a more husky sound, as well. 1971-1973 are the more nasal years, where Elvis tended to adopt a more piteous tone, yet the emotional power was as strong as ever. 1974-1975 saw him slowly returning to a deeper quality, while retaining the weepiness; the "TODAY" album is the epitome of this. 1976 and 1977 ushered in more changes, albeit subtle ones, as a thickening that can be heard all across the 70's became even more pronounced. Elvis often sounds tired during this period, even on official record, yet he conquered this for the best of his performances in late 1976 and 1977. In fact, stack the Aloha and EIC versions of "My Way" next to each other; Elvis has a much smoother tone on the latter.
We should also not forget that Elvis consciously did different things with his voice at different times. On "Baby Let's Play House", he begins with a mock hiccup style. On "Blue Moon", he wails in high falsetto. On "Jailhouse Rock", he rasps like never before. On "Reconsider Baby", he sneers. On "G.I. Blues", he cups his voice right down, then blasts off into oblivion. On "There's Always Me", he starts soft, yet closes with stentorian strength. On "So High", he follows the bass line. On "Too Much Monkey Business", he sounds impossibly cheeky. On "I'll Hold You In My Heart", he loudly accuses. On "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", he sighs and snorts. On "Hurt", he bellows with angry volume. Across the wide span of his career, one may also find examples of ebullient laughter, animal noises, yodelling, a convincing Johnny Cash impression, scatting, various "freak out" moments and on. This was a guy that broke all the rules and tried everything. There is no singer more diverse, more bewildering, more frustrating, more entertaining, more eclectic and more esoteric than Elvis Presley.
There is a fantastic compilation of quotations at Wikipedia: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
Last edited by Cryogenic; 12-20-2007 at 03:56 PM.
Fantastic post Cryogenic!No one could describe the changes in Elvis' voice over the years better. I'll also add that I don't think we'll ever see another entertainer as diverse and stupendous as Elvis.
Diane
Elvis had natural talent and an awesome ear for perfect pitch. The reason why Elvis' voice got so mature after he got out of the service was, Charlie Hodge. Charlie basically gave singing lessons. Show him how to stretch his range. Listen to the difference between the 1956 version and 1960 recordings of, "Blue Sude Shoes". The "Elvis is Back", LP is so aweome vocally.
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